Will do everything to free 7 Indians kidnapped by Taliban: Afghan Prez

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Will do everything to free 7 Indians kidnapped by Taliban: Afghan Prez

Thursday, 20 September 2018 | PTI | New Delhi

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his Government would do everything possible to secure the release of seven engineers abducted by Taliban in the restive northern Baghlan province in May, official sources said.

During extensive talks with Modi, Ghani also conveyed to him that the Afghan Government is enhancing security for Sikhs in Afghanistan in the wake of killing of 13 people of the community in a suicide bombing in July, the sources said.

They said Ghani’s response on both the issues came after Modi raised them.

Seven Indian engineers were kidnapped in Baghlan province on May 6, and Modi, in the talks, conveyed his concerns over them to Ghani.

In the talks, the decision by India and China to initiate joint projects in Afghanistan was also deliberated upon.

The sources said a Sino-India integrated training programme for Afghan diplomats will kickstart next month in Delhi. The diplomats will first train in Delhi and then will leave for Beijing.

Ghani was here on a day-long working visit.

Giving an overview of the security scenario in Afghanistan, Ghani also apprised Modi about Taliban attack on southeastern city of Ghazni and increasing presence of ISIS in the country. On the Ghazni attack, he said involvement of Pakistani national has emerged, the sources said.